May 26, 2014, 8:47 am
Last edit by: SingaporeDon
Every forum on Flyertalk has a personality. A forum gains a personality through user input over time, and Lifemiles is a very definitive example of how users have developed a unique community.
While Flyertalk boards actively encourage sharing of info, the Lifemiles community has developed and thrived via obscuring of certain data elements. It may not be easy for new participants to break through the codes and gain knowledge of the program's quirks, but the overall board community has adopted this unique approach. And frankly, that is not going to change overnight.
If a FT member wants to participate on this board, then they will need to respect other users. Hence, posts that run counter to this community's standards, will be removed.
While Flyertalk boards actively encourage sharing of info, the Lifemiles community has developed and thrived via obscuring of certain data elements. It may not be easy for new participants to break through the codes and gain knowledge of the program's quirks, but the overall board community has adopted this unique approach. And frankly, that is not going to change overnight.
If a FT member wants to participate on this board, then they will need to respect other users. Hence, posts that run counter to this community's standards, will be removed.
C1 North America
C1.5 Caribbean, Bermuda
C2 Europe
C2.5 Middle East
C3 Asia
C4 South America
C5 Africa
C6 Oceania
2X, 3X: in the context of this LifeMiles thread, 2X and 3X refer to any 2nd and 3rd legs of a one-way award ticket.
LifeMiles' Star Alliance Award Chart
LifeMiles' old Star Alliance Award Chart (before Oct 15 2014) // Table of changes
Cash & Miles redemptions: the price per mile purchased during award booking varies significantly depending on how many miles are purchased. The "sweet spots" are between 38% and 58% of the total mileage required, where miles are purchased for 1.5 cents. See here for some examples.
Beware of Cabotage: LifeMiles has been known to issue tickets that constitute Cabotage, and at least one instance of denied boarding has been reported, stranding the passenger. An easily-seen example is travel on Copa from LAX to SJU (via PTY).
Understand Cabotage: Departing country 1, transiting country 2, returning to country 1 (no stopping) *is* cabotage (example: depart JFK, connect in YYZ to return to ORD, or depart Miami, connect in Bogota, return to San Francisco). On the other hand, departing country 1, going to completely unrelated country 2, and ending up in country 3, is not cabotage. So if you fly JFK-JNB-ZRH, for instance, this is completely not cabotage.
Availability: Seeing availability for *A award seats elsewhere is no guarantee they are accessible on Lifemiles. For instance award space shown on ANA often is not accessible on Lifemiles. Similarly, finding award space on single legs doesn't mean you'll get award space on the combined itinerary. And no, there is no way to overcome that.
Screenshot Method
Send email to [email protected] with attached screenshots on Lifemiles website of each individual leg showing availability. Also, screenshot showing no availability as one booking. Include passenger names, gender and DOB and copy of passenger passport. They will either call you for payment or email the itinerary and give you 3 days to call up and make payment by CC.
NOTE: This previous thread has been closed; it can be read here LM F and J routes (and the occasional trick-it)
LM F and J routes (and the occasional trick-it) Rebooted v2.0
Aug 3, 2014, 10:30 pm
#616
Join Date: Jun 2013
Programs: SPG Plat 100, A3*G
Posts: 678
The site has an annoying habit if you select Star Alliance or a specific airline, of showing Avianca availability instead of the airline you want. What's even more annoying is that in some cases it offers you what would seem to be an illegal route, for example US city to US city via a third country in C1.5 on a non-US airline (Avianca), which I thought was cabotage. Rant aside, anyone know how to avoid having the system always show this convoluted Avianca routing when you decidedly did not select Avianca?
E.g. Once AV started offering LHR-BOG, I've seen LHR-JFK/IAD routed through BOG and even FRA-JFK/IAD routed through FRA-LHR-BOG
So even if you select a specific airline, AV might pop-up.
Aug 4, 2014, 2:29 am
#617
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,187
Pure LH PNRs to which AV has no stake in are not accessible to AV, nothing unusual there. A PNR created by LH for LH flights is usually off limits to any other carrier. LH (or the officeID owning the PNR) needs to specifically add an authorising command for AV office IDs to access it and to issue tickets.
Aug 6, 2014, 2:30 am
#618
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 989
Skipping first segment
hi guys, so I have reverse chainsaw booked, and as you guys know, it has multiple carriers, in my case, 2. How likely is it that if I skip the first segment, I can still board the second portion? I know the general rule of thumb is that if I miss the first segment, it will be cancelled, but since its two different operating airlines, is there a chance it wont be? Also, would it be possible to just call the operating airline on the day of travel to not cancel my ticket? My problem is that at the connection city, there is an airport transfer but I am only allotted 2 hours 45 minutes to get there, so I really don't think I can make it as I will be travelling with family. Any advice?
Aug 6, 2014, 2:33 am
#619
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Valencia, Spain
Programs: Pascal and Python, no C++
Posts: 738
Interesting data point: quite a bit of J availability from South Asia to IST is now provided by Egypt Air. I thought they'd be sold out given their low prices...
This is of course mainly interesting for those who live in IST or those who want to use IST as a stepping stone for lower mileage requirement...
This is of course mainly interesting for those who live in IST or those who want to use IST as a stepping stone for lower mileage requirement...
Aug 6, 2014, 2:37 am
#620
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Valencia, Spain
Programs: Pascal and Python, no C++
Posts: 738
hi guys, so I have reverse chainsaw booked, and as you guys know, it has multiple carriers, in my case, 2. How likely is it that if I skip the first segment, I can still board the second portion? I know the general rule of thumb is that if I miss the first segment, it will be cancelled, but since its two different operating airlines, is there a chance it wont be? Also, would it be possible to just call the operating airline on the day of travel to not cancel my ticket? My problem is that at the connection city, there is an airport transfer but I am only allotted 2 hours 45 minutes to get there, so I really don't think I can make it as I will be travelling with family. Any advice?
And if the connection city you talk about is the woodcutting tool, your chances to make it in 2:45 is again very low. (if not in the middle of the night)
All in all, madness, not even talking about the family!
Aug 6, 2014, 2:46 am
#621
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: CDG
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 1,611
Interesting data point: quite a bit of J availability from South Asia to IST is now provided by Egypt Air. I thought they'd be sold out given their low prices...
This is of course mainly interesting for those who live in IST or those who want to use IST as a stepping stone for lower mileage requirement...
This is of course mainly interesting for those who live in IST or those who want to use IST as a stepping stone for lower mileage requirement...
Aug 6, 2014, 3:10 am
#622
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Valencia, Spain
Programs: Pascal and Python, no C++
Posts: 738
Aug 6, 2014, 3:16 am
#623
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: CDG
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 1,611
BUD-CAI on an ERJ 175. Business class was 2-2 with no additional pitch so basically a Y class seat.
CAI-JNB an old A332 with a recliner seat.
No booze obviously and the catering was just an embarrassment lol totally disinterested crew. I guess their 77W's has a better seat but the food is probably equally as bad.
CAI-JNB an old A332 with a recliner seat.
No booze obviously and the catering was just an embarrassment lol totally disinterested crew. I guess their 77W's has a better seat but the food is probably equally as bad.
Last edited by AirCanada881; Aug 6, 2014 at 3:22 am
Aug 6, 2014, 3:38 am
#624
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Valencia, Spain
Programs: Pascal and Python, no C++
Posts: 738
BUD-CAI on an ERJ 175. Business class was 2-2 with no additional pitch so basically a Y class seat.
CAI-JNB an old A332 with a recliner seat.
No booze obviously and the catering was just an embarrassment lol totally disinterested crew. I guess their 77W's has a better seat but the food is probably equally as bad.
CAI-JNB an old A332 with a recliner seat.
No booze obviously and the catering was just an embarrassment lol totally disinterested crew. I guess their 77W's has a better seat but the food is probably equally as bad.
Aug 6, 2014, 4:39 am
#625
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: CDG
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 1,611
Aug 6, 2014, 7:17 am
#626
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
hi guys, so I have reverse chainsaw booked, and as you guys know, it has multiple carriers, in my case, 2. How likely is it that if I skip the first segment, I can still board the second portion? I know the general rule of thumb is that if I miss the first segment, it will be cancelled, but since its two different operating airlines, is there a chance it wont be? Also, would it be possible to just call the operating airline on the day of travel to not cancel my ticket? My problem is that at the connection city, there is an airport transfer but I am only allotted 2 hours 45 minutes to get there, so I really don't think I can make it as I will be travelling with family. Any advice?
Last edited by Pseudo Nim; Aug 8, 2014 at 10:21 am
Aug 6, 2014, 7:26 am
#627
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
I would not try it neither. On the times when we flew with paper tickets it could have worked. It was easy to just lift the flight coupon that you did not fly and then proceed to the check-in. Now the e-tickets were linked to all (participing) airlines of your ticket. So if you get to the check-in at the 'secret' airport, they will check that the ticket was not flown the way it's coupons were issued... If trying to skip the first flight, be prepaired to buy a new tickets to get home...
Aug 7, 2014, 4:09 am
#629
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
hi guys, so I have reverse chainsaw booked, and as you guys know, it has multiple carriers, in my case, 2. How likely is it that if I skip the first segment, I can still board the second portion? I know the general rule of thumb is that if I miss the first segment, it will be cancelled, but since its two different operating airlines, is there a chance it wont be? Also, would it be possible to just call the operating airline on the day of travel to not cancel my ticket? My problem is that at the connection city, there is an airport transfer but I am only allotted 2 hours 45 minutes to get there, so I really don't think I can make it as I will be travelling with family. Any advice?
Aug 7, 2014, 5:15 am
#630
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: BRU
Posts: 62
Had some difficulties taking the woodcutter to the USA. Check-in went just fine, but at the gate, when boarding in FRA and at customs in JFK we had to do some explaining. What could've given the problem? The routing? The ticket? Originating country for this itin?
Don't count on any connecting flights at this starting airport, this place is terrible
It took us more than 3 hours to clear customs and people with connections didn't get priority but just had to make their way through... For those who've scheduled flying this, be prepared for huge waiting lines (in and out) ... and don't forget the visa ! But if it gets you flying (very cheap)in J , we think it's worth the hassle!
Don't count on any connecting flights at this starting airport, this place is terrible
It took us more than 3 hours to clear customs and people with connections didn't get priority but just had to make their way through... For those who've scheduled flying this, be prepared for huge waiting lines (in and out) ... and don't forget the visa ! But if it gets you flying (very cheap)in J , we think it's worth the hassle!